Leonardo Nam on Disney Villains, Fatherhood, and Building the Stories He Wants to Tell

Over the past two decades, Leonardo Nam has built an impressive and remarkably varied career.

With starring roles in blockbuster films like The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, the actor has brought his indelible charm to every role, while showcasing his range across film and television.

The veteran actor currently stars in Disney Channel‘s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, the latest entry in the long-running Descendants franchise.

Nam joined the franchise in the previous film, Descendants: The Rise of Red, in which he played Maddox Hatter, the Mad Hatter’s son.

The family-friendly films have enthralled audiences for over ten years, and the past two installments have ushered in more twists, turns, and fun for those who relish seeing the heroes and villains of famed fairy tales working together.

Nam has been a memorable addition to the franchise and gets to do something a little different in the latest film: the villain.

We were thrilled to spend some time with the easygoing Nam, whose candor and kindness shine through from the moment you start speaking with him.

During our conversation, Nam reflected on fatherhood, his love of villains, how he builds stories through his production company, and the meditation practice that keeps him grounded.

What drew you to the Descendants franchise and the opportunity to play Maddox Hatter?

One of the main reasons I made the film was that I became a father. And most of my work prior to this was very adult, to say the least.

Some things, when I looked at them through the lens of a dad, I was like, “They’re never going to see this,” or, “They’re not going to see this until they’re much, much older.”

So when this opportunity came up, I thought, “How cool would it be?” Then also there was the opportunity to play in the world of Disney and to play Mad Hatter or the Hatter family; that’s so iconic.

I was like, “Are you kidding me? That is a dream.” For me, as an actor growing up, I watched these Disney films. And for some reason, I always was so connected to the villains. I loved the villains and what they played.

But even though Maddox in the first film is not a villain, I still was like, “Oh my God, what an excellent opportunity to play in this sandbox.”

And so that was my original reason for wanting to be a part of this franchise and this world, and to take a stab at possibly being part of the next generation’s imagination of what a world and a universe of magic and fantasy can be.

That was so important to me, especially looking at it through the lens of being a dad.

You mentioned that in the first film, The Rise of Red, Maddox is Red’s mentor and “one of the good people.” But in this new one, he’s going to go in a bit of a darker direction in terms of a villain.

What was the most exciting part of exploring that side of the character and stepping into the villain role?

Oh wow. What a great question. As an actor, I’m always looking to do things that I can stretch and that constantly evolve.

The opportunity to be in a franchise is a great thing because you get to tell a longer story. In playing a villain or any kind of role, you don’t want to play one note, or it’s a caricature.

It’s always about connecting to the human part of it. In The Rise of Red, he really was, or I really am, like a mentor, or as the younger kids say, the unc, the unc with a heart of gold. I really looked at how he was a mentor and best friend with a heart of gold.

In this next one, where he does take a darker turn, I looked at how we as humans have some sort of a scar or, for lack of a better term, a trauma that has happened. And from that, one of the human responses is rage and madness and anger and jealousy and revenge.

I started looking at colors like that to play with and started coloring Maddox in that way, where it came from a grounded sense of hurt and from the fact that he still has so much love.

And even though in this next iteration, Red and I aren’t the best friends we were in the first one, I kept thinking there had to have been a love situation that went wrong.

I built a lot of it around where the Queen of Hearts has banished me. Previously in the film, they talk about what happened and why I turned.

So, I looked at trying to play those covers of what it would feel like if someone banishes you, which causes you to feel sadness and then could drop you into this kind of madness and this rage. 

The journey for me is where it’s all rooted.

One of the cool things about the Descendants movies, too, is that there’s always something valuable to take away from it, like believing in yourself or, as you said, the drawbacks of jealousy and different things like that.

What is something you hope audiences take away from this next film?

What I love about this franchise is that it really brings it home that it is about family and about love. And I really, really love that they play with that concept. At the end of the day, it comes back to that.

I hope that audiences take away that even though you are in a certain circumstance or you may feel a certain thing with your parents, or you’ll feel stuck in some way, there is this kind of hope out there that love does exist, whether it exists in the love of a parent or the love of friends.

I do hope that that’s what audiences get out of this.

You said you liked villains, so if there was another fairy-tale character that you could be, who would it be?

Oh, I’ve always loved the Genie in Aladdin. That would be so delicious to play. And I personally took inspiration from Scar in my life.

I really, really enjoy Jeremy Irons’ performance in that. And what that character went through and the identity that he’s seeking, I really resonate with that. I would love to play Scar.

I want to switch gears a bit because I know you have a production company, and I’m very curious about what you’re looking for when taking on projects. What kind of stories are you most passionate about telling?

What a wonderful question.

In this world we’re in, I have realized you have to build the stories you want to be in, because no one’s necessarily going to know the story of how you grew up and the different layers and facets. People have an opinion and can say, “Oh, this is what I think a character like this would be.” 

But no one can really tell your own. What I have always enjoyed about acting is being able to build on my past, my present, and my imagination. And my life has never really been reflected.

I was born in Argentina. I grew up in Australia. I’m also Korean. I’ve learned I’m part Japanese too. And I’m in the U.S. My brother, sister, niece, and nephews are in London. So I’m really looking for projects that speak to that global aspect.

I call it the third culture: I’m American, Australian, and Korean. So, looking at stories that overlap like that. Past Lives was a big wake-up call for me. The movie is about a Korean person who migrates to Canada, and the story also takes place in New York and the U.S.

So I started to think, “Oh, how interesting.” This is one of the first times that I saw that narrative woven. I thought, “Whoa, I’m starting to see this part of myself that I have, in a way, blocked.”

I saw how well a movie like Past Lives did and how well it resonated globally. And I thought, “Oh, huh, that’s what I need to start digging towards.”

There is that aspect that I really love. And the other aspect I love is that, growing up, I wanted to be Whitney Houston. I used to sing to the Bodyguard soundtrack and wanted to be this incredible singer.

But the reality is, I wasn’t going to be a singer. I’m not female, and I’m not Whitney Houston. There’s only one of her.

But I can find stories that I can put my thumbprint on, where I can delve into the imagination of what it would have been like to be a singer or a 16-year-old girl. 

Even though I, as an actor, can never play that unless there’s an obscure retelling of a story. But in a general commercial sense, I wouldn’t be able to play that.

But I’m able to find stories, and I can pour what I know as an actor and what I know as a human into these projects and then put my thumbprint on that and find ways to tell their stories three dimensionally through my eyes.

That, to me, was the biggest wake-up call, and I was like, “Ooh, this is why this is so fun for people.

So many other people wear multiple hats: a director, a writer, an actor, what have you.” And I was like, “Oh, I get it. I can pour myself into the role of this doctor, this female doctor who wants to be a sports star. I know how that feels. I know how that feels.” 

So those are the kinds of stories that I’m really looking forward to telling.

You just mentioned it too, wearing many hats. You’re acting, you’re producing, you are a father. In this industry, which can be so tough, how do you stay grounded and make sure that you’re bringing your best to each role?

Well, one of the big things that I do is I meditate. That has been the key element to staying calm and really just accepting and releasing and being present in the moment, 10 toes here.

Whether it’s being with my sons or being on set in the moment in a scene, or working in a development space or on a project.

Meditation is what’s helped me go to and build a protection around this creative world that I have now.

I learned that early on, acting-wise, where, “Hey, there are 200 people on set. The sun’s about to go down. They’ve lost this location. Everyone is going crazy. But then you’ve got to have this very direct and emotional scene with the doctor where the baby’s dead.”

I was like, “How do I do that?” All that noise and what have you. And so, meditation is something that helped me really come into focus and crystallize in the moment for acting.

But then I started using that outside, in the general world. And I found that it has been a very, very magnificent transformation for me, both as a person and as a creator.

What’s a lesson that you learned about yourself through both being an actor and being a creative person?

Great question. I think the lesson that I’ve learned about myself is that I’m resilient. I’m resilient, and I am a happy person.

Stuff happens, and disappointments happen, and then some highs happen and lows. Through it all, I’ve discovered that, “Hey, I’m still here 20, 25 years later from my first film.”

Fast and Furious is coming back for their anniversary, which is like, “What? Are you kidding me? That is so crazy. Twenty years have gone by.” 

I look at the course of my life and things that have gone up and down and sideways, and yet I remain positive and optimistic and, frankly, happy. I think meditating and seeking that kind of calm and peace in my life is part of that lesson of happiness. 

It’s kind of how I get calm and happy in my life.

No matter what is happening, the craziest thing that happens, I come to that still space, that feeling, and that awakening of being happy and calm and aware is mine and belongs to nobody else and is free and just is here no matter whether I’m on a train or sitting down in my room. 

That same sense of calm exists, and that gives me happiness, really.

This is going to be the most difficult question of the day. I write for a site that loves TV, loves entertainment. So what TV shows are you currently watching, and what is your all-time favorite comfort show?

Whoo. This is fun! I am currently watching The Madison, actually.

I started watching that on a plane, and I was so surprised by how emotional that was. I do love I Love LA. That show just cracks me up. Then, definitely, Heated Rivalry was something as it came out. I was like, “Oh, we need more stories like this. Thank you very much.”

And then the show that I can always go back to, I think for me, I love Seinfeld. That is just such fun — about nonsense. That moment in time in my life, I just really appreciate. I remember that time was very fun.

Oh, you know another one I also like is Sex and the City. When I watch Sex and the City, I remember my time in New York. I just loved that moment in time when I lived there.

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